Demigod Treasure Hunter: Westward Ho!
by Sage Nicholson
Summary: God, just a week ago I was your average demigod dropout. Now I'm driving cross country with a person I hate, hoping to talk to a god as an errand for an evil Roman emperor. What did I do to earn bad karma like this! Don;t answer that.
1. Eich Bien Un Preface

**For those of you who are too lazy to read the authors name, allow me to introduce myself. I am Sage Nicholson. A long, long time (2 days) ago, I finished a writing a fan-fiction called "Emma Lee; Demigod Treasure Hunter". Everyone loved it. Okay, I loved it. Unfortunately for all of you who did not like it, I ended my last book with a lot of unanswered questions, so that I could write a second book. I have improved greatly since I made my first Word document. For one thing, I completed yet another year of English. Turns out grammar lessons are good for something other than being an English teacher after all. I hope I have improved enough to satisfy you readers.**

 **Our story begins about three weeks after where it left of, in late August/early September. This story does not follow the Trials of Apollo timeline, because when I made my guidelines the first book had not come out yet. As they say in showbiz, too bad.**

 **I really hope you like this fan-fiction, and review. Because seriously, _what the heck people_? I got like, four reviews on my last book! And then, I look at a fan-fiction about cannon characters writing letters to fan-fiction, and it gets like, 66 reviews! I mean, I'm not dissing the people who write this sort of stuff, it's funny and all, but reviewers, _come on_. I have written a _lovingly handcrafted_ , _unique_ story, and they just copied the other 62 _thousand_ "Dear Fan-fiction" fan-fictions out their. Would it kill you to at least say "I liked it." Or, "I hated it". Or whatever, just _say something_! (Editors note: She's ranting. Ignore her.)**

 **(Deep, calming breath) But seriously, I hope you enjoy, and I would really appreciate it if you posted something to tell me how much you enjoyed it.**

 **Yours Sincerely,**

 **Sage Nicholson**


	2. Meshugennah

**The last three weeks have been the best weeks of my life! I went to this awesome summer camp, French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts, and loved every second of it!**

* * *

The last three weeks have been the worst weeks of my life. As if it wasn't bad enough that I'm being blackmailed by a millennia old psychopath. As if it wasn't bad enough that one of my best friends and I won't even be in the same room as each other. _As if_ it wasn't bad enough that one of my other best friends, Angeline, is being dragged to a boarding school across the country by her disapproving dad.

Chiron is making me go to public school.

That's right, after Skylar (not surprisingly) told everyone in camp my little secret about being a elementary school drop-out, Chiron decided he couldn't allow me to waste what he called "a potentially brilliant mind". So for the past few weeks, in between glaring at Luca and trying to learn more about Caligula, I've been taking tutoring lessons from Malcolm in Athena cabin. Let me just say, regarding schoolwork, I am not in the least bit upset I missed out on so much.

But today, Malcolm was willing to give me a break, in order to say goodbye to Elliot, who was going home for the season.

"Are you sure you want to leave? I could _really_ use your help on this."

"I'm sorry Emma, but I've got to go. School starts next Monday."

"Yea, yea I know, but what about the dreams? You the one whose dreams led us to the..." I glance around and then lower my voice. "Templars..."

"Look, if I have any more dreams, I'll call you, okay? My step-dad says he's going to give me a new IPhone for my birthday. It's gonna be sweet! I'm thinking the cover is gonna be gold..."

I growl. "Am I the only one even remotely concerned about this guy. He could put us federal prison, Elliot. _Federal prison_! But don't worry, I'm sure your step-dad can use the fancy new IPhone he bought you to _call you when you're locked inside_!"

Elliot takes a wary step back.

"Yeesh Emma, calm down. I'm also worried, but we haven't found any more clues, and I'd rather not have a massive panic attack like you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Emma, take a look in the mirror. You haven't slept, you've barely eaten. When you're not studying with Malcolm you spend your days at the training center decimating some poor straw dummy . What did those dummies ever do to you? And then, you spend hours hunched over a computer trying to dig up any scrap of helpful info you can. When's the last time you took a break? When's the last time you laughed? Or smiled? And I mean _really_ smiled, like, because you were sincerely happy." As he says this, a green pickup truck with _Delphi Strawberry Fields_ printed in white on it pulls up. Elliot climbs in.

"Emma, you've become a total.. what's the word? That word I heard in a Mel Brooks film... meshuggena. You've gone completely meshuggena." As he delivers these final stakes into my heart, the truck begins to pull away.

"We'll keep in touch!" He calls as he drives down the road.

* * *

"Skylar am I meshuggena?" I ask her later at dinner.

"I don't know what that means."

"Crazy. Am I crazy?"

She takes a long time to answer. Not a good sign.

"Well, you have been acting... a lot more serious since you came back. But I wouldn't worry about it. I mean, sometimes when something's important to you get all.. I mean, remember when we had Latin finals, and you hadn't studied all year? You didn't leave your books for anything but the bare necessities, but you learned a year or Latin in two days, and totally aced that exam."

"So what you're saying is, I've got a one track mind." She nods.

"Exactly! I mean there's nothing wrong with that, right?" I shrug. We sit in comfortable silence for a moment.

"Skylar?" I ask tentatively.

"Yes?" she replies.

"Do other people think I'm crazy?" She exhales sharply.

"They've noticed you've changed. Most of my cabin thinks you're upset because Luca rejected you."

"What do you mean, rejected me?"

"I mean, like... romantically." I sit in stony silence for a moment. Then I start to laugh. A little at first, then louder and louder, until I'm banging my hands on the table and practically rolling across the floor. Skylar joins me.

"Can you imagine-" I chortle "Can you imagine _me_ being love-struck, by _Luca_! Staring at him all moony eyed from across the room..."

Skylar joins in "Writing 'Mrs. Luca O'Neil' all across a notebook..."

"Seeing his face in my dreams..."

"Accidently on purpose dropping your backpack near him in hopes he'll pick it up..."

"Finding a napkin that he dropped and nailing it to a wall with his picture plastered all over it..."

"Okay, now we're just getting creepy." We, with great effort, stop laughing. Skylar then points toward the Ares table.

"Speaking of which, he was looking at us just now." I glance in Luca's direction sure enough, when I notices my gazes he starts, glares, and turns away.

"You know, you two really should just apologize." I frown.

"Why should I apologize? I haven't done anything wrong. He started it!"

"Maybe, but you finished it." I sigh.

"Okay, so maybe I did go a _little_ bit overboard after the Great Filling Station Fiasco."

"Emma you went on a five minute rant about everything that was wrong with him, complete with incredibly colorful language. I'd never even heard a bunch of those words before."

"That's what I get for growing up in a bad neighborhood. Look, I really _wish_ I could apologize, but then he'd win."

"What do you mean, he'd win?"

"Like, I'd be admitting that I was wrong, and he wouldn't."

"So what would you do if _he_ apologized to you?"

" _Then_ I'd apologize back, because I know it would be mutual." Skylar shakes her head for a moment and then massages her temples.

"Emma, what if I told you I had the exact same conversation with Luca a few days ago."

"You talked to him!" I scream.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't want to have to pick a side between my two besties. Besides, somebody has to get you two talking again." I deepen my frown.

"Skylar, if you weren't the only non-tutor person I have left to talk to, I'd _so_ give you the silent treatment right now."

"So, is that a maybe on apologizing?"

* * *

 **Whew, newest chapter is all done! As you've probably guessed, I'm trying to include a little more character development. I'm really inexperienced, so if you have any advice feel free to offer it. As usual reviews of any sorts are welcome, as well as any jokes you'd like me to share during the forward.**

 **\- Sage**


	3. Return of the Pink Panther

**Hey, what's up? Since I have nothing better to say today, here is my joke of the chapter.**

 **A grasshopper walks into a bar. The bartender says, "Hey, we've got a drink named after you."**

 **The grasshopper says, "You've got a drink named Stanley?"**

 **And now back to your previously scheduled chapter.**

* * *

I sit uncomfortably in a florescent lit room, as elevator music (I can't be certain, but I think it's the Pink Panther theme song) plays in the background. No I'm not going to the dentist. I'm waiting for Shane from Hephaestus cabin to finish examining the Roman denarii and pendent I found last August.

After an excruciating hour of elevator music the lanky teen walks in, wearing a welding mask.

"The doc will see you now," he says with a grin. I follow him to the forge. He gestures to the objects in question, which lie red hot on a work table.

"So, the denarii is Imperial gold, but other than that nothing special. This pendant on the other hand..." He begins going into a lengthy technical explanation.

"So, once the five wire begins circular rotation, the thaumaturgic aspects begin to kick in, leaving the eight wire ready to-"

"You know I'm not paying you by the hour, right?" I interrupt. Shane stops yammering immediately.

"Basically, it's a magic compass. They're designed for getting you through mythological areas. This one specifically is for the Labyrinth. It's very, very rare, Where did you say you got this again?"

"Um... I found it in a griffon's nest," I lie through my teeth. Actually, I found the coin at the Washington Mall, and the pendent in a underground tunnel in Colonial Williamsburg. Which shortly after blew up, which is why the FBI are now searching for those responsible, which is why I have to fix this pendent for Caligula. Fortunately, Shane seems mollified with my response.

"Unfortunately, the compass is in terrible shape, covered in rust in all that, and I can't fix it because it's missing a final part."

"What is it?"

"For this compass to work we'd need a piece Ariadne's string. And that was lost after the Battle of the Labyrinth." I grimace.

"Yea, I remember. So, any clues on where I can find this yarn ball? I'm guessing I can't just walk into Home Depot and ask for it."

"Well, maybe not Home Depot, but you can ask for it. My dad, Hephaestus, keeps tabs on all sorts of magic items. He probably knows where the string is located."

Hephaestus is one of the friendlier gods, I'm 89% sure he'll do me this solid. "Alright, where do I find him?"

"He'll probably be at one of his forges. The biggest one is in the semi-dormant volcano under Yellowstone National park. There's an entrance in one of the geyser formations."

"Thanks for you're help!" I grab the now cooled down pendant and coin and begin to head out. Shane grabs my arm.

"Ahem."

"Oh, right." I fish a small bronze object out of my pocket and hand it to him. He takes a small screwdriver and begins to fiddle with it until it transforms into a spider-bot. Shane grins again.

"I'm eternally grateful," He says. "Now get out."

* * *

I run across the center green to the hearth in the middle. Skylar's waiting for me.

"Well," she says running over, "what did you find?" I give her a friendly smirk (yes there's such a thing).

"Pack your bags Skylar. We're going on another road trip."

* * *

 **Regarding that first paragraph, I love the Pink Panther movies. They're classics in every sense of the word. As always, reviews are welcome.**

 **-Sage**


	4. Road Trip of Hatred and Neil Diamond

**Greetings, fellow fan-fictioners! The end of summer is almost upon us, which is why I'm squeezing in a few more chapters and making the most of it.**

* * *

Sword?

Check.

Armor?

Check.

Flashlight?

Check.

Marshmallows?

Still working on that last one. I paw through my bunk bed and its cubbies, adding potentially useful things as necessary.

"Should I bring my "Green Chili Festival" Chuy's* t-shirt or my "This is my ass, this is my ass on Chuy's" t-shirt?"

"Maybe bring both, just to be safe." I jump and turn around to see Conner Stoll standing behind me. He gives me his evil grin.

"Geez Emma, why so jumpy? Just came by to check on you. I heard you were leaving. This doesn't have anything to do with that Luca kid, does it?" he asks, his expression darkening. "'Cause if so, we have ways of dealing with the Ares cabin."

I give a little laugh. Most other campers view their cabins as family, but in the Hermes cabin the Family is capitalized. And, since I've been going to camp for four years now, I'm something of a senior mafia member, so heaven help anyone who publicly wrongs me.

"Nah, Luca's just your average jerk, he's got nothing to do with this. I'm leaving on... personal business."

"You mean fixing that compass?" I start. How did he?... Ugh, assuming I get back alive, remind me to repay Shane for his sellout, this time with some non-mechanical spiders.

"Yea that. No big deal, just a little trip out west. Always wanted to drive cross-country." Yea, no big deal, just running an errand for a madman.

"Really? because it sounds like a quest to me."

"It's not a quest it's a... treasure hunt." I'm having serious deja vu here.

He shrugs, then grins again. "Alrighty then. Good luck on your... treasure hunt. But of, course, I can't guarantee that every thing you own will still be here when you come back."

"Conner Stoll, if a single half eaten mini-muffin goes missing, I will strip you in your sleep and duck tape you to the flagpole!"

He rolls his eyes. "How would you be able to tell anything was missing from that mess?"

* * *

After quickly deciding that vintage Chuy's shirt is too valuable (to me, anyway) to come, I zip my bulging backpack _mostly_ closed and walk over to the parking lot. Skylar is already waiting there for me, along with... you have got to be kidding me!

"Skylar what the hell is this?" I glare pointedly back at Luca, who is standing next to her.

" _This_ is an intervention." She says clearly pleased with herself for thinking up this brilliant idea.

I do not. I put my hand to my forehead. "Skylar, I don't care _what_ you junior psychology book says, this is _so_ not the time for a little _tete a tete_."

"I know, but we'll have plenty of time on the road right? I can't stand you guys fighting, so please, at least give this a chance." She gives me her most heart-wrenchingly adorable puppy eyes.

I sigh in defeat, then look at Luca, hoping he has the strength to resist.

He grunts in disgust. As he walks up onto the Crap-mobile he calls down, "You know you're all heart and no brains, right Skylar?"

"And you're all schmuck and no brains, you realize that Luca?"

"Guys, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

* * *

5 hours 56 minutes and approximately 36 seconds later, we are driving by Clearfield PA. All attempts at conversation have resulted in attempted strangling, so I have claimed Driver's Rights to the radio and we are now listening to wonderful sounds of Neil Diamond**. Its not that I like Diamond, its just that Luca hates him even more then me. Skylar is reading a Pennsylvania travel pamphlet, trying to find something to say.

"Hey guys, did you know we're passing through beautiful Moshannon State Forest right now? Did you know the name Moshannon means 'moose-stream'? Did you know in the winter you can snowmobile through it?"

Did you know you're beginning to sound like an even more annoying Angeline?" Luca snaps. Skylar quiets down, and for the next minute there is silence, except for Neil Diamond emotionally crooning these touching words:

 _I am I said_

 _to no one there._

 _And no one heard at all_

 _Not even the chair._

After which a dark shadow emerges from beautiful Moshannon State Forest and hurls us off the side of the road.

* * *

 ***Chuy's is a tex-mex store in Austin that sells great t-shirts. It's probably the greatest restaurant chain ever.**

 ****I hate Neil Diamond. It probably has something to do with being forced to listen to "Sweet Caroline", at regularly scheduled intervals at summer camp.**

 **Hope you like Conner Stoll's cameo. I was afraid that I made him too responsible and thus OOC, but then I figured that he _is_ a head counselor, so he does have to be serious occasionally. I like to create stories with very few cannons, so that I don't have previous character lines I have to follow.**

 **As per-usual, I appreciate any and all reviews, even flames. Actually, flames tend to be rather amusing, plus for some reason the worse a story is, the more people read it. Just look at "Starkit's Prophecy"**

 **Hasta la vista baby!**

 **-Sage Nicholson**


	5. Troll 2 Attacks!

**Two updates in two days! A whole new record! Yay! Hope you like the next chapter, worked hard on it.**

 **And now, a word from our sponsor:**

 _ **Spam spam spam spam**_

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 _ **SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!**_

* * *

 _I am I said_

Out of the corner of my eye, a dark figure leaps out of the woods to my left.

 _to no one there._

Before I can even cry out, something slams into the side of the Winnabago with enough force to crush the side in.

 _And no one heard at all_

We tumble down the hill to the right with sickening speed, spinning faster than a roller coaster. My life flashes before my eyes.

 _Not even the cha-_

The airbags inflate as we hit the bottom, right before the entire RV dies.

* * *

As I attempt to regain my senses, I can hear someone screaming uncontrollably. Oh, wait, _I'm_ the person screaming uncontrollably. Okay, deep breaths. _In. Out. In. Out._ The car has stopped moving, it's okay. You're okay. Skylar and Luca are... _ohmygod Skylar and Luca weren't wearing seatbelts_!

I tear my seatbelt off and stagger towards the wreckage in the back. Skylar is propped up against the side, her clothes shredded and a massive cut bleeding on her forehead. Her skin looks ashen and she's not moving. Kneeling next to her, trying to wake her up, is Luca, who, although heavily bruised, looks better for wear. He stares at me in horror, and when I look down I see I have a gash on my inner arm, which is bleeding heavily.

"Is juss a flesh woun'..." I slur unconvincingly. "Theres necter in my bag..." I add, frantically zipping it open and taking out a warm thermos. I hand it to him and he tries to get Skylar to drink some. The cut begins to heal and her color returns, but she remains unconscious. He takes a sip himself and then hands the container back to me. As I savor the taste of strawberry juice, my head begins to clear. I sink to my knees next to Luca.

"What the hell happened?" He asks.

I shrug "Something hit us."

"Yea but what?"

"Whatever it is, we've got bigger problems right now. Try to grab anything salvageable you can find back there." I look around us. The door is currently on the floor, but one of windows has broken open, and if we try we can fit through.

At which point a gnarled, warty hand reaches through the gap.

* * *

I scream and scramble backwards as the hand and the hideous arm attached to it feels around the window. The arm is then followed by a hair covered chest, and finally a face. A humanoid face, almost completely covered in hair, save for a round, boil covered nose, and two glowing yellow eyes. Cat eyes. It growls, revealing sharp yellow teeth. Luca and I fear-whimper in unison. I reach slowly for one of the throwing knifes in my backpack, careful not to make any sudden moves. The thing starts to tear the metal around it, widening the hole. I take aim and throw.

Unfortunately, I have terrible aim. The knife barely grazes the creatures side, resulting in a small cut oozing thick black-green goop. It does, however, cause it to loose it's hold, buying us time. I rummage through my backpack frantically, until I find what I'm looking for: two glue-sticks. I hand one to Luca and he gives me a funny look.

"What?" I realize we have the exact same sword disguises. I shrug, embarrassed. "There's a million of these at the camp store." At which point the creature jumps onto the door again, howling obscenely. We uncap our glue-sticks.

The thing breaks into the car and jumps in front of us, and I realize it's only about four feet tall. It moves closer and I scream and swing my sword like a arachnephobe swatting a spider. Somehow I manage to fatally wound it. The creature stumbles backward, leaking the ooze, which I now realize is sap, all over the place. It curls up in a ball, shuddering a gurgling. We approach it cautiously.

"What is that thing?"

"Tei-Teihiihan... cannibal dwarf..." it sputters out before dissolving into more sap. I stare in horror for a moment, then turn to Luca.

"Let's get the heck outta here."

* * *

We manage to pull ourselves and Skylar out of the hole the 'Teihiihan' made and into the woods below. We rest as she begins to regain consciousness. Luca and I stare at each awkwardly for a moment. Then I start to laugh. Like hysterically laugh.

"Luca," I say between fits of giggles, "Why were we fighting again?" He stares at me in shock and then grins.

"I'll be honest with you, I forgot sometime during week two." he replies, begin to chuckle himself.

I take a deep breath. "Whatever it was, I'm sorry."

He nods. "Same here."

I breathe a shaky sigh a relief. The dwarf attack is over. The crash is over. And now, the feud is over too. I hold out my arms. "Hug?"

And we do.

"You smell like dead dwarf." I whisper as the wailing of ambulance sirens comes closer.

"You have motor oil in you're hair." He whispers back.

* * *

 **Teihiihan are cannibal dwarves from Arapaho, Gros Venture and Cheyenne Nations. They are supernaturally strong (their name even means "strong") and feed on human flesh. Demigods must be even tastier. I figured since they're forest creatures, they'd dissolve into sap, unlike regular monsters. Whatever you do, do _not_ Google pictures of them, because you will have nightmares. You're going to Google them, aren't you? I bet you just have. Well, I warned you. Maybe when you're up all night you can write some reviews for me, because I would really appreciate one. I did warn you about Google**

 **Happy nightmares!**

 **-Sage**


	6. Friendship is lying to cops

**Thanks to Oswin Cadwin for reviewing. I suggest you check out her works. Also thanks to CzarSoza for her review on my other fan-fiction. And now for a word from our sponsor:**

 _ **Listen, strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony!**_

 **In case you can't tell, I'm a huge Monty Python fan.**

* * *

I may not be a total babe, but my eyes are gorgeous. There very large, and cornflower blue, and if I make 'em real big and lay on my Texas accent real thick, I can convince almost anyone of anything.

"So, Miss Lee, if I understood you correctly, your car just 'tipped over' and fell of the side of the road?" The officer says suspiciously. I glance at his badge: Officer Waters.

I nod, looking as pitiful as possible, which isn't that hard when one of your friends is lying in an ambulance with a IV drip.

"Gee mister I don't really know what happened. One minute everything is peachy keen and the next we're hurtlin' down the side of the road." Blinkity blink blink blink.

Officer Waters nods. "Any idea what caused this accident?"

"Well, I'm not too good with machines and whatnot, but if I had to guess I'd say maybe the steering failed?" More innocent puppy dog eyes.

"We found a large hole torn into the side of your Winnebago."

"Well, we did break a window to climb out. Sir I'm supposed be meeting my Ma and Pa in Pittsburg, and they must be worried sick." Officer Waters has come to the conclusion that I am as daft as I look. He puts down his note-pad.

"We've salvaged everything we could from the crash site. After your friend gets cleared for her injuries you three are free to go."

I give him my biggest smile. "Bless your heart Officer."

After he leaves, Luca smirks and whispers to me, "Is that your real accent?"

"Phhhs, that's no-one's real accent, outside of the Louisiana Bayou. But it sounds dumb, and most Northerners can't tell the difference between a Texas and Southern accent anyway*. Plus, that phrase I said to him, 'bless your heart'? It's basically a polite way of saying 'ef you'. You can't always be the jerk around here." I laugh.

* * *

The Officer gave us a ride into Clearfield, which is a semi-cute town. We're now standing in-front of the Clearfield Police Department, with our salvaged bags, wondering what to do next.

"We could take an Uber to Yellowstone." suggests Skylar.

"I'm pretty sure we cant Uber almost 2,000 miles. Besides, how would we pay this guy, we've barely got enough money for gas."

"What about hitchhiking?" Luca rolls his eyes into the back of his head.

"Yea, three teenagers relying on random strangers who are willing to let them get into their car to get around safely."

"Would you shut up!" I hiss, my phone pressed up against my ear. "I'm trying to make a call.

Finally I get through.

"Hello, this is Hannah Lee speaking?"

"Hi Mom... I need your help..."

* * *

 ***This is true. Sad, but true.**

 **Sorry this was a rather short chapter, but the last one was really long, so I guess that makes up for it.**

 **Anyway, here's the deal. I like jokes, the worse, the better. Lately, I've been putting up Monty Python jokes before chapters. But I'm running low on quotes (K rated ones, at least) and so I need your help. Please send me jokes that I can use. If you do, I will give you the greatest prize of all: the pride in knowing you touched a life. Also, a nice little footnote.**

 **Look forward to reading those jokes!**

 **-Sage Nicholson**


	7. My mom

**Hey, I'm** **baa-ack! Sorry for taking so long to update, new school year and whatnot. Hope you like the new chapter!**

* * *

"Seriously Emma, you _called your mom_ to get us out of here? That's a new standard of pathetic-ness, even for you."

"Okay, first of all, I'm going to ignore that second comment, in the spirit of renewed friendship and forgiveness. Second of all, my mom was driving west from Philly anyway, so its convenient."

"you realize she's gonna be pissed when she's hears about how you crashed your car."

I shrug. "the way I see it, she can't kill me with you two around to witness it."

* * *

When I see her expression as she pulls up, I'm not so sure.

People say I look just like my mom did when she was my age, but that's not really true. My features are sharper than hers, whereas she looks like a redheaded Cinderella, only sweeter, so I look less like a clone and more like her evil twin who was frozen, Captain America style, in ice for a couple of decades.

But when Mom gets angry, boy can that Disney princess glare. And as she pulled up in that eighteen wheeler, and I saw her face, well, I became wistful for Evil the Dwarf.

"Hi Mom... Great to see you here..." I say awkwardly, trailing off into embarrassed silence.

"Get in the truck Emma."

* * *

"Of all the stupid, irresponsible, reckless things to do-"

"Mom, I swear, it wasn't my fault this time!"

"And do you honestly think i should believe you when you end that sentence with 'this time'. You could have been killed! you could have gotten your friends killed!'

"What, you think I wanted to get attacked by a troll doll?"

"You should have known better. What, do you think that every demigod out there get constantly attacked overtime they step foot outside?"

"Actually Mom, most do."

"That's not even the least of it! You manipulated a police officer, then acted like an ungrateful little brat when I went through all this trouble to go out of this way to this backwater dump and pick you up! You haven't once said 'thank you' or 'I'm sorry'"

I mutter something unrepeatable under my breath.

"What was that?"

"Thank you, Mom, for driving a full five minutes out of your way to pick me up, then harass me and embarrass me in front of my friends." Who, this whole time, having been hanging on to every word of this humiliating soap opera scene. Oh god, I so see this becoming blackmail.

Only then does it dawn on her we have company. She gives me one last bat-glare.

"We'll continue this discussion later." she turns to the backseat. "Sorry for being so rude, there's a cooler on the floor with some food in it, if you're hungry." Since we are, in fact, very hungry, we each take out a wrapped sandwich (my mom buys them in bulk) and begin chowing down.

"So, Ms. Lee, what are you transporting?" Skylar asks. She's obviously trying to distract my mom from the humiliating at hand. She will be thoroughly missed.

Surprisingly, Mom decides to play nice. "Well, right now I'm transporting some non-perishables for the company I work for. Most of them are giant containers of Cheetos, but I think there's some potato chips back there."

"Cool! What's it like, being a lady trucker?"

"Tiring. I'm often driving for over 24 hours at a time. And boring. There's not much to do on the interstate but listen to the radio." Mom makes it sound like she despises her job, but the truth is, she's addicted to the open road. I swear, "Prisoner of the Highway" was written specifically for her.

"You know, it was a lot more fun when Emma was little and I got to take her with me. I remember, when she was 6 she wriggled into the drivers seat while I was filling up gas and starting futzing with the gears. When I came back I saw her pretending she was steering and singing a little song she made up. It went something 'I'm a truck driver, I drive them trucks, I gotta watch out for does and bucks.'" She begins to sing.

"Mom!" I cover my ears. So this is my punishment for being rude. Maybe I should have just apologized.

Luca raises his eyebrows in mock intrest. "Oh really? tell me more!"

"Well, she used to put on my UT hat and and old flannel shirt, and then she'd run around the apartment building pretending she was driving and a paper plate was a wheel. I remember, she was reckless even then! One tim our old neighbor, Mr. Garnucci, was carrying heavy groceries, and Emma ran straight into him. I saw the whole thing, but when I came over she pointed to Mr. Garnucci and said 'he did it'. She got no TV for a week. I probably should have seen the signs of road rage then."

"Mom! I do not have road rage!" I whine very maturely.

"You know, I think I still have some old photos-"

"Mom!"

* * *

28 excruciatingly embarrassing hours and one motel room later, Mom drops us off in Idaho Falls, Wyoming.

"This is as far as I'm gonna take y'all. Emma, be good, and remember, stay far away from those hot springs. I love you so much, please be safe, okay?" Tears begin to form in her eyes. I feel terrible about earlier. Of course Mom was angry, she worries about me. She's taken my whole demigod-ness so well, much better then I give her credit for. And watching her drive away, I feel scared to, like I'm a little girl watching her leave for work without me for the first time.

Luca turns to me. "Your mom is so cool. High-strung, but cool."

Skylar nods. "Yea, I've never talked to a trucker before."

"Well, I've only got two years left before I get my CDL. Then I'll be teamster too.* But we're not here to talk about eighteen wheelers. We're here to find a god. So let's stop yapping and start find a bus to Yellowstone"

* * *

 ***A CDL is a truck driving** **license. Teamster is another word for trucker.**

 **Hope you liked this chapter. Not a lot of action but an important character development chapter. In case you haven't figured it out yet, the theme of this book is understanding and forgiveness.**


	8. Let's dive in boiling water!

**Two chapters in two days, I am on a roll here! I don't have anything particularly witty to say today, so I'll begin this chapter with another Python quote:**

 **And the Lord spake, saying, "Thou count to three. No more. no less. Three shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting** **shall be three. Four thou shalt not count, nor either count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out..."**

* * *

Thankfully, Yellowstone does not have metal detectors. I can't imagine having to explain to the authorities why I'm carrying around a ancient bronze dagger.

What Yellowstone does have, however, is altitude, and a very high one. My head is pounding, and I feel like I should lie down for a couple years and just sleep.

Unfortunately, I can't do any of those things, so instead, I choose the Luca method of dealing with frustration; taking it out on random, innocent people.

"Hey, watch it buddy!" I snap at a fat, middle aged tourist who have just walked into, causing him to spill his orange soda all over both of us. I swear to God, this place makes a New York subway station seem empty. I am seriously considering poking people with my aforementioned ancient bronze dagger to get to the information desk.

"Yes Emma, chill out a little." Great. You know you've gone off the deep end when _Luca O'Neil_ tells you to calm down.

"Let's just find this stupid god and get out of here, before I go anymore postal." In case you forgot (you probably have) the goal for this insane cross-country track was to find Hephaestus's forge, and maybe get some magic string as bonus.

"Too bad we don't have the foggiest idea where he is." Skylar adds.

I nod. "I've checked all the maps, not a single spot labeled 'Forge of Hephaestus'."

"Well, the entrance has got to be around here somewhere. Let's wander around, maybe take a tour, I'm sure we'll find something."

* * *

"Remember folks, the Norris Geyser Basin is the hottest and most changeable part of Yellowstone, so stay of the path. If you leave the board walk, there's always a chance the ground beneath you will be unstable and you will literally fall into boiling hot water below."

"Ooh, I heard that this one kid did that, and the water he fell in was so hot that he literally disintegrated. All they found were the bottoms of his shoes." A kid whispers to his brother next to me.

"The hottest and most temperamental area? Oh yea, if Hephaestus is anywhere, he'll be here." Luca says softly.

I look around. I see lots of geysers and boiling mud pools (yes those are real. And real awesome) but nothing really out of the ordinary.

We follow the tour practically through the whole area. We see hot springs ranging from Hot Bath Temperature to Instant Third Degree Burns. We are reminding, sixty billion times, that we should never, ever touch a blue hot spring, because as inviting as the color is, they are actually the hottest springs of all. We laugh at a dog drinking some water trickling by the boardwalk (don't worry, the water's a reddish-brown color, meaning it's not extremely hot, the dog will definitely live to tell the tale).

So, we have fun, but no success. Until the near the end of the tour. I'm plodding along, basking in the heat from the springs, when suddenly, I feel a tingle. Not a ticklish one, but a cold one, like someone took a blowdryer that blasts cold air, set it on high, and ran it up and down my back. I pause, and look around me. Porkchop Geyser is right ahead of me, to my left is a murky colored spring. As I stare at it (the spring), I feel the tingle again, stronger than last time.

I stare at plaque below my feet. _Green Dragon Spring. Except on warm summer afternoons, steam frequently fills the cavern of this intriguing hot spring. Visitors must wait patiently for a glimpse of the sulphur-lined cave and boiling green water._ I stare at the cave. Yep, this is definitely the spot.

"Guys, come take a look at this!" Skylar and Luca plod over obediently. I point in excitement.

"Look!"

"Yes Emma, a hot spring _we know_."

"Ugh. Am I the only who can tell. There's something mystical about this one, I can just tell. And hey, since when have my instincts been wrong?"

"Emma, I'm not even going to answer that. So, say this is a fluke and you are correct about this one. What a we supposed to do?"

I look around for others. The next tour group is far, far away, and looking in another direction. No one else is around. Then I look down at the geyser. A little voice of common sense in the back of my mind is telling me I'm crazy, that I should turn around, walk away, and never think of this again. I decide to go, before the voice gets louder.

"Cover me." I jump into the steaming, murky green water below.

* * *

 **Oooh, I wonder if she'll survive? Haha, I'm just kidding, of course she'll survive, I can't kill my main character halfway through the book. But whether she reaches her goal or gets banned for life by a park ranger is a different story. Stay tuned for the next chapter! same bat-time, same bat-channel.**

 **As always, I really appreciate reviews and feedback. Even if they're bad.**

 **-Sage Nicholson**


	9. Crazy Joe, God of Steampunk

**Three in a row, way to go! I would just like to say that I am on a _role_ here! And now back to your previously scheduled ****fan-fiction.**

* * *

The water wasn't even warm.

Despite the ominous steam and sulphur smell, and the warning signs, the pool was cool to the touch, and much deeper then I thought. I suddenly regretted the idea of going in fully clothed.

Skylar and Luca stared at me in a mixture of horror and fascination, waiting for me to spontaneously combust. I wave as I bob up and down in the water happily.

"Come on in guys the waters fine!" I call out, flicking some of the murky green in their direction. They back away from it, still not fully trusting.

"Aw come, on don't be chickens!" I don't realize it, but as I call this out two coils edge toward me and begin to wrap themselves around my legs.

"It's totally safe, I promise you!" As I say these words, the god of jinxing-stuff takes notice, and an instant later I scream as the tendrils pull me downward and into the cavern.

I trash desperately as the sulfurous water stings my eyes. Water fills my mouth as I instinctively try to scream.

It feels like I'm down here for hours. In reality, it was probably less then a minute before my head broke the surface of the water.

I gasped for air as the tendrils through me onto the damp, hard ground. When my eyes begin to clear I can see through the tears a large cavern lit with what appears to be torches on either of the walls.

All around me, massive figures stand, muttering to each other. I yelp as what I think is a spear pokes me in the side.

"You are a demigod, but not one of my master's, I smell it. Speak, who are you?" I look up and stare into a single bloodshot brown eye.

Great. Cyclops. I open my mouth to speak, but begin to cough uncontrollably instead. I am rewarded with another poke by the spear, harder than the last time.

"He... phaestus..." I rasp out. "I... need to... see... Hephaestus..."

The monsters growl to each other. One picks me up roughly and throws me over his shoulder. I land with an _oomph_ and the air is knocked out me.

"That you will demigod. That you will."

* * *

My captor and his friends (I count four altogether) haul me through a room filled with lava. Giant pits of it. Everywhere I look, Cyclops are building, dipping items in the pits with their bare hands, shaping their metal creations, then dipping them into buckets of water nearby. The steam travels upwards through holes in the ceiling, probably to thermal features above.

Quite a few Cyclops stop working to stare a me, but one of my spear carrying party raps them on the head and says "Stop staring and get back to work!" Once, the one walking to my right slaps his hand in the lava for emphasis, and one of the sizzling droplets lands right next to me. I cringe, wondering how long it is before they roast me alive.

We walk past the lava room, into what looks like a massive garage. In the center of it is a grimy, frazzled little man with a beard is tinkering with what looks like a massive celestial bronze rib cage. The odd thing is it looks vaguely familiar.

And when the man (who I have gathered is Hephaestus, due to my great observation skills and the fact that he is wearing a auto-mechanic's uniform with his name on it.) turns to me, I realize that he looks familiar too.

The great god Hephaestus, master craftsmen, inventor of the gods and father of a member of the Seven looks near identical to a homeless man who lives under a Montopolis highway pass named Crazy Joe.

I kid you not. I have talked with Joe many times, and there is no way I can forget a face that hideous. He has the same exact bulbous nose, the same squinty, bag lined eyes, the same stringy lips. He even has the same long, bristly black beard, always full of yesterday's meal or, in Hephaestus's case, wire, nuts and bolts.

So can understand why, when the Cyclops throws me roughly to ground, the first thing I say when I find my hurting voice is "Joe?"

Hephaestus's eyes narrow in confusion. "Byron, what is this, and why'd it call me Joe?"

Byron (the cyclops) stands at attention and salutes. "Sir, we found this" he looks at me in disgust, " _demigod_ trespassing in the Green Dragon entrance. She requested an audience with you. Should we kill her?" As he says this final sentence, he licks his lips in anticipation.

Hephaestus shakes his head. "Not right now. I'll hear her out, demigods tend to have reasons when they come to gods to help."

After the Cyclops salute and leave, he turns to me. "Well what, are you suddenly mute? Speak!"

* * *

I don't know why, maybe because he willed me to, or maybe I just wanted to to tell someone, to get this off my chest, but the entire story of the past three weeks comes out in a jumbled mush. Hephaestus, for the most part, listens patiently, save for pausing me once or twice to clarify.

When I'm done, his jagged unibrow sinks down in a frown.

"We gods knew Caligula was back, but he has been hiding out where neither the gods nor Thanatos can reach him. Up until know we were unaware of his plans." He stares off into space, thinking, or maybe remembering.

"Caligula has always been power hungry. He has spent the last millennia gathering followers, now he wishes for wealth." he turns to me, his expression dead serious. I think. Hephaestus seems to have only three expressions.

"God-emperors like Caligula take power away from the gods, and disrupt the natural order of the world. If he continues to grow in strength, the gods, and the balance we bring, will deteriorate. Natural disasters will become more common, governments more unstable. Basically, he's a bad lot."

I nod. "Yea, I kinda got that impression from him. But please, don't tell anyone else about this. I don't want to spend the rest of my life in Double Guantanamo."

Hephaestus considers this. "I suppose there's no reason to involve the other gods in this. They mess with everything, y'know. Always arguing, never get anything done, then they make up stupid, niggling little rules and call them 'policy'. Governmental masturbation more like it." Just like Congress.

"Of course, you can't expect to go up against an emperor with who knows how many followers and expect to win. You'll need help." He looks at me critically. "In your case, you're going to need a lot of help." Ouch. That hurt.

Hephaestus pulls a buzzer out of thin air (literally) and presses it. I hear a crash and then the sound of running from a nearby door. A voice calls out "Uno memento! Just hold on a second!" I hear another crash, closer this time, and "I'm fine!"

Finally the door swings wide open to reveal something I never thought I'd see here. Something I never thought I see again.

Leo Valdez, standing in front of me, in all his engine grease stained glory.

* * *

 **And you thought I wasn't going to have any cannon characters. Ha! In this last chapter I've had _two_. Yes, Leo Valdez will be making a special guest appearance. Please tell me if I make him OOC.**

 **Happy Reading!**

 **-Sage Nicholson**


	10. It's time for Leo's cameo!

**Hey people! I'm sure you'll be happy to hear, I read over my previous chapters, and boy, were they a mess! Guess grammar mistakes are bound to happen** **when you publish everything on the first draft. Never the less, I've gone through and edited each to the best of my ability, but if you spot any more errors, could you PM me or tell me in a review or something? Thanks for you're support.**

 **And now back to our previously scheduled** **fan fiction.**

* * *

It's been over fifteen minutes and I'm still staring at Leo sputtering "What?... How!?" Probably because he's been yakking my ear off for the past fourteen of those. After Hephaestus told him to go to the storage room and pick up Ariadne's string along with a few other "special items, he dragged me down a flight of stairs and into a jam packed basement below, and has been talking the whole time.

It's strange that he's treating me like an old friend, but also kinda nice. I knew Leo Valdez well, and not just because he was one of the Seven. Leo was beloved by the Hermes cabin for his brilliant pranking skills, and was declared an honorary member, even if he never slept a night there. He used to plan pranks with me and the other senior members all the time. I just never figured he'd remember me.

"Okay seriously, what _the heck_? Dude, in case you've forgotten, you're _dead_. Like, you know, _dead_. How are you here right now? How long have you been revived? And why haven't you contacted us yet?"

Leo holds up his hands. "Whoa, girl, slow down, one at a time. First of all, I came back via magical potion, I've been alive for months, and, well..." Leo's cocky grin, which up until now hasn't left his face falls. "I don't really know. I mean, I've been showing Calypso around the world, and Festus is totally wrecked..." I know all about 'Caleo', thanks to being best friends with a child of Aphrodite. And if the familiar looking metal thing downstairs is part of Festus, then that would definitely put a hitch in his travel plans. But it doesn't take a genius to figure out the Leo's just making excuses to stay away.

As I'm about to question him further he spots something in a piles of old metal. "Aha!" He digs through it like a madman, then pops up, holding it triumphantly.

"Here it is! One Ariadne's string, comin' right up!" I stare in disbelief at the ball of twine in Leo's hand.

"You can't be serious. This can't possibly be it."

He shakes his head. "Nope, that's it all right! You got the compass?"

I fish it out of my pocket and hand it to him. He takes a minuscule pair of pliers out of his pocket, pops open the back and begins working on it, winding the string around a mechanism inside.

"So, this is something of an interesting model. See, it's designed to navigate the Labyrinth, but an expert mechanic can shift some of the gears and use it for another purpose."

"Too bad I got you instead of one." I joke. He gasps in mock hurt.

"Ahh! My ego!" I roll my eyes while laughing with him.

"Don't you miss this? I mean, I'm sure that Calypso's great and all, but when's the last time you've had a conversation with another person? And the camp _really_ misses you Leo. I don't know anyone else who can pop out of the sink and scare the crap out of the poor souls on kitchen duty."

He sighs, and then sits down dejectedly. "At first I... didn't want to come back. I'd always thought, in the back of my mind, that I didn't really belong there, that no one really cared about me. Then, by the time I did realize it, it had been a long time, and I was afraid to come back. To face the people I'd hurt by staying away from. It's better if they think I'm dead. Then I'll be remembered as a hero, instead of the guy who ditched everyone for no good reason."

I stare at him in silence. I don't know what to say to this. I never realized Leo felt unwelcome. And I never realized how guilty it must feel to realize you let down everyone you knew and cared about.

I should probably tell him he's wrong. That the camps will forgive him. That I should realized how alone he must of felt.

Instead I say; "So, what were the 'special items' Hephaestus mentioned? I'm kinda hoping they involve food somehow. Haven't eaten since lunchtime..."

* * *

This doesn't exactly solve the problem. But it provides us with a distraction from the serious issues.

Leo leads me into another room, which appears to be his workshop/ bedroom. I mean, I can't really tell, because pretty much every piece of furniture is buried under three feet of random parts and dirty laundry. He opens a cabinet and takes out two items. One I don't recognize. It looks a lot like a little container of breath spray, but when he hands it to me, I see it's labeled "Insta-Mist".

"This stuff is perfect for hiding all sorts of demigod-ness. Just spray a generous amount on anything, and try to imagine what you want said thing to look like. Or, you can spray it someones face and say something like 'you don't need to see my identification' and voila, they'll believe it! It doesn't work to well on demigods or clear sighted mortals though, and there's only so much it can cover up. But I think you'll really like this next little gadget, Detective Drebin." He holds it out to show me and I gasp in joy.

Leo is hands me one of the most beautiful pairs of flying shoes I've ever seen. At first glance, they look like low wedge sandals with a strap around the foot and ankle, but upon closer inspection I realize that instead of leather they're made out of some very flexible form of celestial bronze.

I'm not a shoe person. I own two pairs, and I've had them both since I was 13. But I _want these sandals._ _I need these sandals so, so bad._

"They're, they're beautiful!" I exclaim.

Leo bows. "Thank you. They also fly. Since I Leo-fied them, these babies can go ten times faster and handle 11 times better then anything you can find in the Hermes cabin."

"How do I activate them?"

"The shoes respond to however owns them. Eventually you'll just have to think to activate them, but since they're new, I the code word is 'Ananke'."

"Ananke*?" I say hesitantly. Instantly, tiny, feathered bronze wings pop out of the sides of the shoes, and flutter expectantly.

"What do you say to stop them?"

"You don't say anything. You just will it."

I tried this out. The shoes slowly began to stop flapping their wings, like a fan being turned off.

"Wow Leo, this is... amazing." I say, reaching to put my newfound tools in my backpack, then realizing I left it by the spring...

The spring! I've been gone so long, Luca and Skylar must be freaking out by now!

"Leo, I've got to go, my friends are waiting for me." I hug him awkwardly.

He nods. "The entrance is up that flight of stairs, the second door you see. It'll bring you out in the woods. Keep straight and you'll see a hiking trail soon enough. One more thing; you now owe Dad a favor, and someday he's gonna use it." I start to leave, but he grabs my arm.

"Please don't tell anyone about me. Swear on the River Styx you won't tell anyone about me."

"I swear." Somehow, thunder rumbles underground as agree to this promise. As I follow Leo's instructions up the flight of stairs, I wonder if I'll ever see him again.

Somehow, I know the answer is yes.

* * *

 ***Ananke was the goddess of impulsivity. Her name is pronounced like "a monkey", but with an n instead of an m.**

 **Yes, Leo Valdez will be a reoccurring cameo in my series. As will Travis Stoll. I hope I didn't make them OOC, please tell me if I did.**

 **As usual, reviews are very much appreciated.**

 **T-That's all folks!**

 **\- Sage Nicholson**


	11. I am arrested, so basically nothing new

**Hey! Sorry to have kept you guys waiting so long, but I'm afraid my walk has become rather sillier recently. Also, I had writers block.**

* * *

I burst out of the claustrophobic staircase and rush outside, breathing in the sweet, sweet air. I bend over, practically having an asthma attack. How many stairs did Hephaestus have? I feel like I spent hours climbing them! Maybe he was messing with me, and I did.

I find the path soon enough and run down it as fast as I can. How long was I gone? Did Skylar call the rangers? Am I too late?

My worst fears are realized as I see the collection of ambulances and news reporters by Old Faithful. I push through the excited crowd and past a police officer over to a group of very serious rangers interviewing Luca as Skylar sobs next to him.

"I'm telling you, my friend just jumped into the hot spring! And she was fine for like, five minutes, and then she starts drowning and she's gone!"

"Young man, that particular hot spring can reach temperatures above boiling point. What you are describing is impossible. Where are your parents? You aren't allowed to be here unaccompanied!" A female ranger responds icily. She notices me and starts.

"Hey! You're not allowed over here!"

When Skylar sees me, she runs over and gives me a massive hug, blowing her nose into my shoulder. Gross, but expected. What I didn't expect was for Luca to grab in a massive bear hug too.

"Oh thank God. Oh thank God!"

"What happened? We thought you drowned!"

The park ranger marches over, a completely confuzzled expression on her face.

"What in the Blue Blazes is going on!"

Still hugging me so close I may actually die from suffocation, Luca tells her "This is my friend. The one who died."

And everyone goes completely nuts.

* * *

An hour later, I'm standing in a holding cell with my friends next to me. We're being interrogated, for the second time this week. Only this time, I don't think I bat my eyelashes out of trouble.

The officer holds up a video. It's taken from a distance, but you can clearly see me jump into the pool, and a minute later, disappear under the surface.

"Care to explain this?" He says, his eyes narrowing. I shrug.

"Not really. You won't believe what I tell you anyway."

"Try me."

"Well, I'm actual Emma's evil twin, Amy. I used mind controlling tech I had collected on our home planet Xerox* to force her to kill herself so I could take her place on the high council of time masters. Any questions?"

His nostrils flare with anger. "Listen girly, do you have any idea how much trouble you're in? The whole fire brigade showed up! This is all over social media, there are news channels across the country for this! You could go to federal prison for this!**" Or more likely, sent to a secret lab in area 51 where scientists study me day and night for the reason why I survived such an 'extreme heat'.

"Sir I honestly can't tell you what happened."

"Oh, you'll tell me! If you don't explain yourself within the next 2 hours, you saucy little brat, I swear to God I'll make your life hell!" He screams, spittle flecks flying everywhere. Gross.

He turns to Luca and Skylar. "And that goes double for you." Luca glares as Skylar starts to whimper. Officer Biggums (I never caught his real name) storms out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Luca is involuntarily grabbed by Skylar as she begins another cry fest.

"Well, care to explain to _us_ what just happened? You've got plenty of time."

* * *

I tell them everything. About the Cyclops, and the shoes, and Hephaestus. Well, everything except for Leo. Styx promises are not to be taken lightly.

"Omg. So, you can fly now?" Skylar asks, leaning down to see if my sneakers have suddenly sprouted wings.

"Well what are you waiting for Wonder Woman? Fly us out of here!"

"Kinda hard to do that when we're _locked in a jail cell_ _Luca_! Besides, they confiscated the shoes along with the rest of our stuff, they're right next to my backpack." I point to table across the room and sure enough, they're there.

I scan the area. "One door, leading to police central of hostile enemies, one window, with security sensors no doubt, a table with our stuff on it, and a metal chair. I could probably break us out of this cell, but we'd be caught as soon as we walked out that door, unless we had some sort of invisibility cloak..." A 150 watt lightbulb goes off in my head. "Which we sorta do!" I pull the Insta-Mist, which I forgot I had in my pocket, out and show it to everyone.

"Guys, I've got a plan!"

* * *

 ***Xerox is a copier machine. I just like the name.**

 **** I have no idea whether or not this is true, but Yellowstone _is_ government property. And Emma _did_ just pull some major back-from-the-dead action.**

 **Just one more chapter to go! 'Thank god!' I can hear you faithful readers out there saying, 'I thought she would _never_ finish!" **

**You guys are jerks for saying that.**

 **-Sage Nicholson**


	12. Why is it so hard to be invisible!

**Hey people! I've got nothing interesting to say today, and I'm too lazy to find another joke, so I'll just start the chapter now.**

* * *

 _Invisible_

I think translucent thoughts.

 _Invisible_

I'm 100% see through. You would see me if you squinted

 _Invisible_

I open my eyes and look around.

"Well, did it work?"

Luca shakes his head. "We can still see you Emma, you're not fooling anyone."

"Okay, one more try. We've only got a couple of minutes left."

"You've been at it for 30 minutes! For God's sake Emma, give me the can!" Skylar snatches the Insta-Mist from me in a totally uncharacteristic way. She douses us with it, closes her eyes, and by the time she opens them my hands have faded away into nothing.

"Jeez Skylar! What was that."

"I'm sorry." she says apologetically "It just hit me that we might end up in prison and I freaked out. I don't think there's a rhythmic gymnastics team in Area 51."

* * *

The police officer from before (who's beginning to look more and more like an evil Officer Wiggums) bursts through the door.

"Alright you little brats. The FBI is here, and they don't look happy. So if you feel like seein' the light of day again I suggest you-" he stops dead when he see the "empty" cell.

"Holy crap they pulled a Houdini." He frantically unlocks the door...

Giving us just the opening we need to escape.

"Now!" With all our invisible strength, we slam into the officer, knocking him screaming to the ground. As sirens begin to sound we grab stuff, which the mist conveniently envelopes, and run out the door.

All around us officers are yelling and barking orders and generally just running around in a confused panic. Nobody notices an exit open seemingly by itself, or hears three extra pairs of feet running through it.

Holding hands to keep together, I drag the Skylar and Luca toward an SUV at the end of the parking lot. Probably one of the policeman's private car.

"Skylar, use the mist to change those license plates! Luca, get in with me, we're stealing a car!"

"You say that so calmly..." Skylar mutters she sprays the plates.

"Shotgun!" calls Luca.

* * *

"I can't believe we got away with that."

Thirty six terrifying and sleepless hours later we pull into the Camp Half-blood parking lot.

"I can't believe we ever were in that situation in the first place."

I slump down in the seat. Human beings should not stay awake for three days straight. I think I'll crash right here in the SUV. Skylar and Luca seem to have the same idea.

"How am I gonna explain this to my parents?"

"How are _you_ gonna explain this to your parents? Luca, you're not the one who stole a car." I sigh. Now that I have the luxury of looking back, I realize that this entire fiasco is my fault. I really did get a little meshuggana, and I dragged Skylar and Luca along with my crazy-ness.

"Look, guys, I'm really sorry... if I hadn't been so stupid..."

Luca grins sleepily. "Not your fault man, and if it is, we forgive you. I don't think I can take another feud..."

"Me neither..." I say as the world goes dim and fuzzy around the edges. "Me neither..."

* * *

 **See! I fit a moral into this! I _am_ a good writer! No, but seriously I am proud of myself for that. I hoped you liked my ending, if you thought it was anticlimactic please tell me in a review. And if you didn't, feel free to review anyway.**

 **Ciao belles! (that is probably the wrong expression)**

 **-Sage Nicholson**


	13. The Stinger

**So, this chapter was added way after I finished, because I realized I needed a bit more antagonism. Also, I love cliff-hangers.**

* * *

"You're sure you don't need any help with those shoes, Emma? The modified types can be a real hassle to control." Shane asks greedily. He was pretty disappointed when I told him that the compass was already fixed.

"I'm good, man. I don't think these things need an owners manual." If I can help it, I never ask that guy for anything. I have no doubt in my mind he'll grow up to be insurance salesman.

He shrugs. "Your loss. I gotta take a call, so see you later." He pulls out his phone and walks away.

I head back to Cabin 11, in order to find out what stuff got stolen (and make due on my promise to Conner if anything is). I'm inspecting my comic book collection (I like to hide dollar bills between the pages of Action Comics) when my phone begins to ring.

"You've reached Emma Lee. Make it quick, my phone battery's dying."

"I see you've completed your task. Very good." A man's voice says on the other end.

"Um, who is this?"

"You couldn't have possibly forgotten me, have you?"

"I don't know man. I'm ADHD, so I forget small detail pretty easily. Are you... Jake from Statefarm?" I say with a sinking feeling in my heart. I know exactly who this is. I guess Caligula really does have spies everywhere.

"Deus meus. You are as daft as you are short. Now look, you've gotten yourself into a little trouble with the FBI it seems. Beat me to the punch I guess. Not to worry, I'll have that cleared up in a jiffy. Just, try not to be seen in public for a little while. You should also maybe stay away from Luca and Skylar for a bit. The less your seen together, the better. I'll call when I need you again." And just like that, he hangs up, no "Goodbye" or "Tata." or anything. How rude. Or maybe my battery died. Either way, its unsettling.

Plus, when I re-check my collection, I find out that someone went through my Action Comics!

"Conner!"

* * *

 **I felt it was kind of lame that I wrote an entire book without a tiny appearance of the villain. I feels this explains why in the next book she's A.) on her own and B.) not pursued by the military.**

 **See ya,**

 **Sage**


	14. Das Thank you's

**Whew! I feel like I've been writing this for ages! I** **n truth, it took a lot shorter than my last fanfiction, but it still feels like forever.**

 **Long or short time, I had loads of fun writing this, and I hope you had loads of fun reading.**

 **Naturally, I will write a third book, after all, there's still quite a few unsolved problems to address. I hope when I begin it you'll read.**

 **Since I have been longing to write a Young Justice story forever, there will be a crossover book 2.5, which while I hope you read, is not necessary to understand Book 3.**

 **If you have any suggestions for what I should include in the next book, please send it to me in a review.**

 **Skylar Waters is loosely based off of a real person who is my friend. If my friend ever reads this, please remember: Skylar is based off of you loosely. Please keep being friends with me.**

 **And now for some thanks**

 **Thank you National Treasure, for inspiring the original concept.**

 **Thank you Rick Riordan, for creating a world where all of this mayhem is possible.**

 **Thank you Oswin Cadwin, for your support in the form of a review.**

 **Thank you everyone in my life who encouraged me to get off my butt and write another chapter.**

 **And finally, thank you crappy days, which inspired me to take out my frustration by writing.**

 **Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.**

 **(or morning)**

 **(or afternoon)**

 **(or whenever it is you're reading this)**

 **-Sage**


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